Irvine Lake catfish, crappie, and bass co-operating
The last few weeks of multi-species action continued the keep anglers happy at Irvine Lake, reported lake manager Dave Noyes. "The catfish are biting best at night", said Noyes. "The crappie are biting in both the afternoons and late evenings, and the bass are biting in the morning and early evening. We've even had a few trout bite on crappie jigs."

Good baits for catfish included mackerel, shrimp, Gulp! and DuMong's, and productive spots included Santiago Flats, the west shore, and boat dock cove. Most catfish were prime eating-size 2 to 6 pounders, but some larger fish into the double-digits made every nibble an exciting prospect.

Crappie anglers found their best bet to be putting out a floating lantern and waiting about an hour for the food chain to build up under the boat. Once a dense school of minnows arrives, wide-open crappie action follows shortly.

Some good daytime crappie scores are possible when afternoon winds blow schools of minnows up against the shoreline. Best crappie tempters are white Atomic Tubes tipped with a mealworm, or white 2-inch Gulp! Minnows rigged on a small leadhead.

Bass anglers are finding good numbers of 2 to 4-pound largemouth, with the red clay cliffs and Rocky Point being particular hotspots. Best bets are dropshot-rigged plastics, with some reaction bait fish available during low light periods.

Plenty of bluegill and redear are available for those who choose to make the effort with mealworms or waxworms fished in shallow brushy areas near the backs of coves.

Good numbers of catfish were caught in the freshly re-stocked Kids Lagoon by families with children age 12 and under. The limit is 3 catfish in the Lagoon, and the balance of the 5-fish limit may be caught in the main lake.

The lake is open until 11:00 PM on Thursday nights, with a $5 discount if entering after 5:00 PM on Thursdays. Night fishing is permitted until 2:00 AM on Fridays and Saturdays, and the lake is closed on Tuesdays during the summer months.

A 10-minute inspection for zebra mussels is required for all private boats being launched. Anglers are reminded of the mandatory release policy for all catfish over 20 pounds. Lucky anglers who successfully release a lunker whiskerfish will receive a free re-entry pass to the lake.

Outstanding catches of the week at Irvine Lake included:

Mitch Gray, Orange, limit of catfish, 21.04 lbs., mackerel, Santiago Flats.
Ken Lee, Irvine, limit of catfish, 20.05 lbs., mackerel, Santiago Flats.
Omar Saucedo, Lawndale, 3.10 lb., channel cat, night-crawler, Lagoon.
Tom Matsanuga, Los Angeles, 8.0 lb., largemouth bass, mini-jig, Rocky Point.
Trevor Jackson, Long Beach, 8.0 lb., channel cat, mackerel, Santiago Flats.
Billy White, Los Angeles, 20.5 lb., catfish limit, mackerel, Santiago Flats.